


Liberating Kylo

by kiyarasabel



Category: Free Willy Series, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Deaf Uncle Chewie, special animal friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-04-29 10:19:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14470545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyarasabel/pseuds/kiyarasabel
Summary: The heartwarming tale of a teenaged delinquent befriending a dangerous wild animal confined to captivity.I was really high and watched the Free Willy franchise this summer and it just fit so well.Dedicated to all captive persons, human or otherwise.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is especially dedicated to the Orcas who have lived and died in captivity. I'm not an animal rights activist; I am an animal welfarist and some species simply do not thrive in human care. There is a very short list of animals I consider nonhuman persons, and Orca are the top of the list.
> 
> Special shout out to: Keiko, star of Free Willy, who died free. Tokitae/Lolita who is possibly the only captive who can possibly be successfully released. Tilikum, infamous for his involvement in three human deaths.
> 
> Springer, who was rehabilitated by humans and returned to the wild, thriving with calves of her own now.
> 
> And Kshamenk, who's tale is most similar to Kylo's in this verse.

_"Ben, wait up!” Shouted a man’s voice breathlessly._

_Armitage looked up, startled that anyone should be running through the woods at such a late hour. A child was laughing and a small grey dog darted past, then turned around, tail wagging to greet the little red haired boy._

_“Shoo.” Armitage growled, not wanting to get mixed up with tourists. Nonetheless, a young boy, hardly more than a toddler, caught up to the dog, laughing and panting himself. Armitage narrowed his eyes. “Who are you?”_

_“'M Ben.” The small child beamed, face haloed by wild black hair._

_The man who'd been shouting finally arrived on the scene. Armitage could only assume the boy was his son. “Oh, hey, kid, do you live around here?” He had a lopsided grin and seemed uncomfortable, if friendly._

_“What are you doing here?” Armitage asked instead of answering the question._

_“We're just having a weekend camping trip, hope we didn't bother you...” The man frowned, eyes studying where the boy had been sitting, half a dilapidated shed serving as shelter with a ratty pile of blankets. “Where are your parents?”_

_Armitage sighed and rolled his eyes, not liking the pity in the stranger's tone. “My father owns the estate on this island.”_

_“What are you doing out here? It's getting dark and it's a little cold to be out in the open.” He tried to fake a smile, but Armitage felt wary. “I'm Han, Han Solo, I'm a pilot.”_

_Armitage stared at him coldly._

_“Right, do you think... I mean, can you take me to your house? I think I'd like to have a word with your father.” Armitage can see his uneasy swallowing, a poor cover of his thinly veiled anger._

_Armitage shakes his head seriously. “No, his business partners are meeting. He's not to be disturbed.”_

_“Okay.” Han lets the word hang for a minute. “Still, it's getting late, shouldn't you be getting home? Going to bed?”_

_“No. I'm fine.”_

_“Are you hungry? We have food back at the campsite.”_

_Armitage wants to protest, but his stomach whines. The boy stands with a sigh and dusts himself off before extending a hand. “My name is Armitage Hux.”_

_“Nice to meet you.”_

~

14 year old Armitage Hux woke up with a start. He hadn't had that dream in a long time, but perhaps it was fitting, now that he was sleeping in a pile of rags not unlike the one in his memory. A random act of kindness in his childhood that had only ended in tragedy. He'd fallen asleep at their campsite, and only woke when the other boy’s father had been shouting, searching for him. The official story was that the boy must have wandered into the ocean and drowned. No body or clues to his disappearance were ever found.

Unofficially, Armitage couldn't rule out his own father and business associates. Certainly the link was questioned when Brendol Hux was consequently investigated for involvement with drugs, illegal weapons and human trafficking. The man himself had managed to stay a step ahead of the authorities and was likely living lavishly in some non-extraditionary country or under an assumed name. His bastard son had then been turned over to the foster system. The last few years of Armitage's life had been spent bouncing between group homes, juvie and the streets.

He was living with a pack of other street kids, most of them older than him. Despite that, he'd had the most education among them and helped plot out a system that could sustain them better over the long term. Rather than random snatch and grabs, the young Hux coordinated their movements to maximize the most lucrative pursuits. They slept in cycles, sneaking through open air markets and crowded courtyards during busy daytime hours, scrounging behind supermarkets for excess food waste after dark. They started being able to predict what they collected and plan around it. 

This year they'd managed to keep a reliable stock of medicine and clothes to avoid exposing themselves to the authorities or well intentioned strangers. Hux was reviewing the ledgers he kept, a special shorthand cypher only he knew, grinning with his projections. In two years, he'd be able to afford a down payment on an apartment, one of the older kids would be able to sign for it. He'd take over for them when he finally reached majority, looking forward to the day he could show his face again in polite society, get a GED, a job, and clean up his image.

He wasn't sure what he'd do with his life after that, but it was enough of a goal to look forward to, a mantra of 'four more years’ keeping him from despair. At first, other kids in the system had bullied him, assumed that with his background he'd been privileged. In an odd way he supposed he was, his father's harsh treatment leaving him better suited to surviving below the notice of society. He had been fortunate to find this group, though they had been falling apart when he met them.

The oldest among them was a nineteen year old whose mental problems kept him on the streets, the next was a seventeen year old who never ceased reminding the rest that soon he wouldn't need them anymore. He was Hux’ primary antagonist, constantly trying to second guess the younger’s records, to demand more than his share. Hux knew that he would cut and run the instant he could.

Today would be special. There was a big celebration going on as the local seaside aquarium introduced their newest attraction. The spectacle alone would hopefully attract enough oblivious tourists that maybe the gang purchase something big to celebrate afterwards. Hux was honestly already kind of sick of the news and wished he hadn't had to listen to all the controversy surrounding it. A few years prior an orca calf had been found stranded, and despite the best efforts to rehabilitate it, it had proven itself a danger to people thus unreleasable.

The protesters had been adamant that the creature was only so aggressive because of its substandard care and captivity. Hux agreed with the segment of people who thought it should be euthanized. Instead it was getting a big bayside pool where people could gawk at it through glass while it swam in circles or floated in place. Hux snorted, if it had been him in the same situation, he might have preferred the euthanasia himself. Whatever the beast's fate, Hux was grateful for the unexpected windfall that would help keep his group warm and fed through the upcoming winter.

He'd found a surprisingly good vantage point overlooking the crowd, so he could keep a lookout in case security got too close to the members of his band of child thieves. He could also direct them through hand signals if he saw a particularly good mark. He tried to feign disinterest as a young woman with a clipped English accent addressed the gawking crowd from the aquarium. He could only just see the dark shape of the animal, circling restlessly and surfacing only for regular bursts of air.

“Unlike our famous Southern Resident Killer Whales, Kylo here is a member of the mysterious Ren pod, believed to be Transient killer whales. Unlike the residents who prefer salmon, transient orca hunt larger prey, usually mammals like sea lions or even whales.”

Armitage rolled his eyes at the affected enthusiasm as the educator rattled off dry facts which may as well have been read from cue cards.

“Kylo is ten years old, which is almost the same as it would be to us. Despite being so young, he still communicates with the distinct dialect of his pod. Orca spend their whole lives with their families and might even form more significant social bonds than humans. The First Nations tribes who live here have many legends about orca, often likening them to wolves as often as to people.”

Armitage was almost dozing off, listening to the dull presentation and lounging in the surprisingly strong sunlight for the season. He startled quickly when he noticed that several of the local security staff had closed in on the edges of the crowd. Immediately he scouted for escape routes, hoping to direct his friends around the authorities.

“Kylo is approximately seventeen feet long and weighs nearly five thousand pounds.”

They were closing on him now, and his eyes scanned for his own flight path. There was a wall to the side, separating the aquarium from the bay, narrow, but Armitage didn't have the luxury of caution. Knowing that the key to keeping balance on a narrow track was not to get distracted, he kept his eyes forward. Stepping lightly, he was willing himself not to look down at the crashing surf and sharp rocks below. He glanced back over his shoulder and could see the security guards trying to push through the crowd to head him off. He moved faster, knowing that his window of opportunity was shrinking.

A sudden gust of wind buffeted him as he turned a corner and terror flooded him. It would almost have been ridiculous, the sight of him windmilling through the air, if the situation hadn't been so dire. He had a brief moment of relief that he was falling away from the rocks far below, but the icy water which engulfed him wasn't deep enough to keep his head from connecting with the concrete.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux wakes up and has to make some choices about his future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought that I had already uploaded what I had but I guess not so enjoy

Armitage woke slowly, feeling heavy, sluggish. Everything was fuzzy as he tried to will his eyes open. He heard a steady beeping and the glaring whiteness of his surroundings clued him in to the fact he was in the hospital. He groaned and his throat felt strange. He squirmed, but wasn't sure if he was simply weak or if he'd been injured or restrained. His head was throbbing and his senses were dulled.

He heard shuffling and footsteps before a voice addressed him. “Armitage, are you awake? Can you hear me?”

He groaned again, trying to speak but finding that there was something in his mouth, aside from the rasping hoarseness of his throat.

“You're doing very well, now do you remember what happened to you?”

Hesitantly, he found that he could shake his head, although he was pretty sure that some kind of collar was immobilizing him.

“You had an accident and fell into a pool, hitting your head and nearly drowning. Because of difficulties retrieving you, hypothermia set in and you aren't out of the woods yet, but your prognosis is good.”

He wanted to try to ask more questions, but he slipped back into unconsciousness.

He felt more alert the next time he came around and his mouth and neck were clear. Breathing _hurt_ but he could do it with only a modicum of discomfort. He was unspeakably relieved when he could feel his limbs moving under his own power. He struggled for a moment through pain and confusion to sit up in the bed. A nurse had entered the room when the beeping of his monitor had changed.

“How are you feeling today, Armitage?”

“Call me Hux.” He rasped. “I'm hungry.”

“I'm sure you are, the tubes were removed last night so it's only natural that you should want solid food. Does anything hurt especially bad?”

“My chest, mostly.”

“Yes, unfortunately the chest compressions of CPR tends to break the ribs. You'll recover fully in a few months.”

“What are you going to do with me now?”

“Once the doctor announces you fit for visitors, your social worker will be here to speak with you.”

He sighed. “Fine.” He would need to find a way to escape before then. Ideally after the doctor made sure he really was all right, but before whatever government worker showed up to cart him off.

~

“Armitage Hux, fourteen with an impressive rap sheet including but not limited to burglary, trespassing, vandalism, and my favorite, criminal mischief.”

Hux frowned, he'd barely been able to use the bathroom and already the social worker was there.

“Well, since you're so talkative, allow me to introduce myself, I'm Rae Sloane, and I'll be your social worker.” Armitage sized her up, taking in her stern but amused demeanor. He'd seen all sorts so far, from the corrupt, to the dispirited. This woman seemed to be more serious than most of the bleeding hearts he'd met, but she lacked the thinly veiled cruelty he was used to from guards.

“So where are you taking me?” He asked, cutting straight to the point.

“Well, you have a few options right now. I'm sure you're familiar with both group homes and foster care, and a judge has determined that you can serve community service if you don't wish to return to juvenile hall.”

He scowled, there weren't really any options. “What can you tell me about the homes?”

“I know that you stayed for a while in Springdale, so I trust I don't need to explain it, as for the other, while you would usually be put on the waitlist, a local family has volunteered to take you in personally.”

He recoiled at that, grimacing. “Who?”

“Mr and Mrs Han and Leia Organa-Solo, they said that you knew them once.” She offered softly.

He felt a sudden sense of dread and wished he could go back to the icy chill of water closing over his head. “Why? They think I killed their kid!”

“No, Armitage, no one blamed you, you were just in the wrong place at a bad time.” Rae reassured him. “Wouldn’t you at least like to meet with them before rejecting them?”

Hux was calculating the situation. Springvale would make sure that he couldn't escape again and he certainly didn't want to go back to juvie. A residential home should be fairly simple to duck out of once he got the chance. “Fine, sure, let's go.”

~

He whistled as they pulled up past the gate. He'd thought that they would be typical hippies of the sort who moved to the Pacific Northwest, but he'd learned that Leia apparently held a seat in the local government. It was she who greeted him, with a brittle, too friendly smile.

“Hi there Armitage, I'm Leia, I'm glad to meet you finally, Han told me all about you.”

“He got my house raided by the cops.” Hux deadpanned.

Leia frowned, lips pressing thin. “I'm very sorry for the part we played in your fate. I was hoping that we might try to make things better for you now.”

“So you're taking me in because you feel guilty.” Hux could certainly use that to his advantage.

“Han says that he would have taken you home with him back then, if not for the rest.” She offered softly, knowing better than to provoke an argument.

He felt a begrudging respect for how she responded to him, honest and composed. “Where's my room?”

~

He resigned himself to his fate, knowing that he would have to bide his time while recovering. Leia administered his medication on a schedule as if he would misuse them. He wasn't about to cut himself off cold turkey and try to stay through the winter on the streets with broken ribs. He'd found out the hard way that she'd installed a security system which triggered an alarm when he opened the window one night. It was almost a welcome challenge to know that he would have to outsmart her and that she knew what he was planning.

He had to see a therapist every week, and Rae monthly. Han was rarely home. They pretended it was because of his work, but Hux had heard their late night arguments. He wondered why they even bothered to stay married since it seemed to him that they couldn't stand to get along. Losing their son had been hard on them, and he felt weird that they were practically treating him as a surrogate for the dead boy.

Once his ribs recovered, he knew that his best means of escape would be during his mandatory community service hours, he just had to decide where he wanted to volunteer. He had another month to make up his mind and soon he would have to start going to school. They'd had him tested to be sure that he would be able to keep up with his peers and they almost decided to let him skip a grade forward. Leia insisted it would be better for him to socialize with kids his own age.

They'd asked him questions about his gang, but he knew better than to talk. He hoped that without him they'd found a way to get by. He'd started to notice only after everyone had stopped asking that something strange must have happened during his accident. He could remember nothing but the fall, but sometimes it felt like they were hiding something from him.

One day he decided to search it up, wondering what the odds were that someone had caught it on camera. What he had not expected was that there had been so many. It suddenly made sense why they'd been so careful around him, why they'd been slow to let him out in public. He had become something of an internet celebrity. He was grateful now for the seclusion, he could only imagine how dogged the harassment would have been elsewhere.

From many different vantage points he could watch the shaky footage of tourists first noticing his dash across the back of the stage. Only a few managed to catch the moment he hit the water. In some he could even hear the crack of his skull. What people had really been focused on came next.

To the horror of the crowd, he'd fallen into the orca’s tank, and from any angle the black shape closing in on him was terrifying. People screamed as it opened its jaws and bit down on his waterlogged hoodie. It tossed its head almost gently, then it towed him to the center of the pool. Aquarium personnel were panicking, security trying to evacuate the onlookers while the animal trainers tried desperately to catch the wild animal’s attention.

It was pandemonium as the creature merely circled, nudging Hux’ limp body along the surface.

It had renewed the controversy surrounding the animal, more than ever insisting that it should be euthanized to prevent further injuries or attacks. Hux didn't feel that was right, and many people online suggested that it had simply been playing with him, or even trying to save him. Watching the footage over and over again he was inclined to agree. That wasn't to say that the beast wasn't dangerous, lunging violently at the staff which came too near, but it was clear to Hux at least that it was trying to keep him away from the other people as if they were a threat. Quite simply, Hux could point to the fact that he was still alive at all, and remarkably unharmed, that had the creature wanted to kill him, it would have.

“I'm going to volunteer at the aquarium.” He announced over a rare breakfast where Han and Leia were both in attendance. Leia paled and the couple glanced at each other in shock. He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I looked it up. You should have just told me.”

“We just... They told us that you might have been conscious when... It had you, that something like that would be traumatic, so much so that your mind would block it out.”

Hux laughed bitterly. “If that were the case shouldn't it have kicked in while my father was beating me?” He almost regretted saying it, for the panic that showed on their faces, but scowled, feeling incredulous that the subject should bother them so much when it had happened to him.

“I can take you by the aquarium later.” Han said finally.

“Now that you know, you should be aware that the aquarium put aside a settlement to compensate for your injuries. It will be held in trust for you until you reach majority.”

Hux was surprised that he hadn't considered that, he'd been so focused on plotting how to get back to his team. His heart was pounding to think about the opportunities that would be available to him when the time came. He hoped that between his hours at the aquarium he might also manage to check in with the gang.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter finally returns to the aquarium.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux returns to the Aquarium and meets the Eclectic staff there

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Southern Residents have been in the news lately, please check out and support the Whale Research Center.
> 
> This chapter, really this whole series, is just an excuse for me to infodump about Orcas

“Hey there Chewie, this is Armie.” Han inducted.

“I told you not to call me that, call me Hux.” The boy disputed.

The new man laughed loudly and with an odd lilt to his voice. Hux looked up and blinked in disbelief. This 'Chewie’ had to be nearing seven feet tall and was significantly hirsute. He waved, blue eyes and white teeth sparkling from within the thick thatch of bearded mane. Between the grease stained jumpsuit and gloves he wore, there was hardly a visible patch of darkly tanned skin.

“Well, Chewie actually won't be calling anyone much of anything. My best bud here is deaf and mute, but he's great at reading lips. Hopefully you can learn some signs, the jokes are so much funnier that way.” Han explained.

Hux caught sight of several rapid fire hand gestures between the two.

“He says he hopes you'll fit in well here.” Han assured him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. Hux crossed his arms but didn't shrug it off, sizing up the tall stranger, before hesitantly offering a hand. It was much more enthusiastic than expected and he grumbled that he'd prefer his arm attached.

“Anyway, I should introduce you to Luke next, he's Leia's brother. They're twins, actually.”

Hux was dubious, the man didn't look especially like his sister, much less a twin, but he knew better than to say anything, gingerly extending a hand. Luke's grip was firm but gentle, his smile full of meaning.

“How much do you know about the aquarium?” Luke asked, pride clear in his demeanor.

“Not very much, honestly. I don't really... Do animal stuff.” Hux admitted.

“I see, interesting that you've decided to work here, I guess that now's a good time to get started learning then.” Luke was clearly excited.

“Leia's your sister.” Hux didn't know why he said it, perhaps some misguided sense of self preservation to avoid a dull lecture.

“She is! Our father was Anakin Skywalker, he had something of a Daredevil reputation, was a pioneer in working with orcas.”

“Well, I'm going to head out, I'll let you two get to work.” Han bowed out.

“See you around, Han.” Luke said, hugging his brother in law with what Hux thought was perhaps a little too much enthusiasm.

“Anyway, the history of orca care started in the area, the first captures were accidental and for a long time previous they were assumed to be ruthless predators, as unthinking and unfeeling as sharks. Actually, we're learning that even sharks are much more sensitive animals than most people realize, but anyway. We only realized too late that we couldn't hunt orca the way people do fish or deer. We had started to learn how special whales were, and how wrong it was to harm them, possibly some of our only peers in the world, but it was too late and the damage had been done. 

“There are just about 60 orcas in captivity around the world today, but more than 150 have died in human care. Our once robust Southern Resident Killer Whales are now endangered, less than 80 individuals left after not just the aggressive era of wild captures, but even today they're suffering from a number of Human actions. Pollution, obviously but between the damming of local rivers and overfishing, the salmon they live on are disappearing. Because they aren't eating as well, they're also suffering more from the pollution as their bodies try to store the toxins in their blubber to avoid poisoning.”

Hux wasn't sure what he was supposed to feel about the lecture, it wasn't as if a teenager could do anything about industrial waste.

“There are lots of animals who benefit from human care, we have a robust program for rescuing other marine mammals such as sea lions, seals and otters, but the demands of an Apex predator are much steeper, especially in free roaming highly social animals. In a perfect world, Kylo would never have seen the inside of a tank, he would be out at sea with his family. The team who found him stranded were almost too late and it was very touch and go for a few months as he gradually learned to adapt to eating fish and recover from the strain of his stranding. 

“Many dolphins; which despite the name Killer Whale, orcas are actually the largest members of the dolphin family. Anyway, most dolphins need a lot of space, exercise and most importantly socialization. They can literally die of loneliness. I thought that we would lose Kylo that way but, well, I honestly think that he decided to live purely on spite. I know you're not supposed to say that but-”

“Hey, Luke!” Called out a man's voice.

“Kes! What's up? This is Hux, he's going to be volunteering here for awhile.” Luke greeted.

“Welcome! I'm Kes, Kes Dameron, hey let me introduce you to my son, Poe, he helps out around here after school, too.” The man was all smiles, talking a mile a minute and all Hux could think was that he now regretted his uncharitable thoughts about Luke's much less obtrusive lecture. The man reappeared shortly, his son's resemblance clear.

“I just realized, you're the kid who fell in Kylo's tank! You're really lucky to be alive, you know.” Kes observed.

“Kylo once trapped me up on a ledge for two hours! I only got away because he was hungry and Luke added a whole school of fish.” Poe corroborated enthusiastically.

There was nothing that Hux wanted more in that moment than to turn his back and walk out on the place, but he wouldn't dare let them defeat him so easily.

“Yes, well, I figured if worse comes to worse I can try to have him finish the job.” He snapped, pleased to see them flinch.

“We should probably take you to Phasma's office to fill out some paperwork.” Luke interjected. “She's the lead volunteer coordinator, been here almost since she was Poe's age and started volunteering. She's not too much older than you though. She's going to college for the business end of things, as a non-profit we need all the help we can get.”

Phasma, blessedly, was less talkative, though he recognized her as the announcer from the day of his accident. She was tall and lean, her blue eyes as cold as Hux’ own. Gruffly, she handed him forms to fill out, the usual disclaimers and permission slips he'd need Han and Leia to sign, as well as the official paperwork for his court ordered hours.

“So... You came back... Do you want to see him?” Phasma asked, filing the papers away.

Hux tried to pretend he didn't know what she meant. “Who?”

She grinned, cocking her head before nodding to the door. “Come on, it's right about feeding time.”

The wall of glass made Hux feel even smaller, the gloomy light filtering through the green water was eerie.

“A local tribe provides the salmon, they consider it an honor, their sacred duty.” Phasma's tone was flat, unlike the voice she used as an announcer. Hux couldn't tell if she regarded the task with respect or derision.

Panicked fish bounced off the glass and fled as the dark shape of Kylo emerged from the gloom. He was so much bigger than Hux had realized. He'd seen the footage, knew the measurements, but his breath was caught as he regarded the behemoth, recalling that the beast was still only half grown.

The predator slowed, seeming to notice his audience, first veering off to fade back into the gloom before pausing to regard them, one dark eye open as he hovered in the water. Hux swallowed, uncertain what he'd been expecting from this, what he possibly could have hoped to achieve by coming here. Kylo turned to face them head on, clearly focused on Hux, and began to scream.

**Author's Note:**

> I make no promises about updates for this, I have a three part series outline for this and I'm really excited about it, but I have so many fics I'm working on.
> 
> I hope that you enjoy this fine introduction.


End file.
